You are here

ShoreTel’s View of VoiceCon Orlando 2009

With a successful VoiceCon still fresh in everyone’s minds, now is a good time to share some of the key trends we noticed at the show, as well as how they apply to ShoreTel.

The migration from legacy PBX solutions to IP-based unified communications solutions continued to be a trend that clearly resonated with attendees. This category shift became clear several months ago when Nortel filed for bankruptcy protection, signifying the “changing of the guard” underway, in which old TDM digital equipment is being replaced by pure IP. ShoreTel’s momentum was highlighted in a keynote presentation by organizer and NoJitter publisher, Fred Knight, underscoring the relevance of our offerings within the changing landscape.

Another major trend we observed was the increased integration of desktop applications with communications systems. For ShoreTel, that meant a demonstration of Microsoft OCS Release 2 integrated with ShoreTel Release 9, which enables organizations to support both Microsoft Communicator and ShoreWare Professional Call Manager clients across the enterprise at the same time. The demo was a rousing success among press, analysts and attendees, making our booth one of the busiest at the show, and garnering the Best in VoiceCon Award for the third year in a row, a title voted on by attendees.

One of the most popular sessions was the PBX Shootout presentation hosted by Allan Sulkin, VoIP Guru, in which ShoreTel was recognized for having a lower total of ownership compared to other vendors.

Overall, attendees were looking for solutions to help reduce costs, aid migration from their legacy Nortel BCM and CS1000 and other vendor platforms, and retain their most valued customers by delivering excellent service during challenging economic periods.